Can Doctors in Estonia give preferential treatment to loved ones? Not really

The Anti-Corruption Act, which governs how far physicians can treat their relatives, is up for revision by the Ministry of Justice. The Office of the Prosecutor General, on the other hand, is concerned about the potential for further corruption as a result of the anticipated modifications.

When a doctor issues a sick leave certificate, writes a prescription, or sends a patient in for testing, the doctor is considered an official under the Anti-Corruption Act, which means that they must follow certain procedures.

Officials are prohibited from making choices on linked individuals or ordering their subordinates to do so. Notifying a superior or delegating the duty to another person should be their first priority.

There are many times when a doctor is not an official, like during an exam or when he or she explains test results to a patient. However, if a patient is sent for tests, the Health Insurance Fund may be obligated to pay for operations as a consequence.

As a result, clinicians should avoid treating their next of kin or making exceptions to procedural limitations that make it difficult for them to help next of kin.

Medics will be exempt from procedural constraints under a proposed change, and also the Estonian Medical Association's code will be used to govern the topic.

No cases of medical professionals treating loved ones in violation of protocol have been presented in the past 10 years, according to the document.

Referrals paid for through Health Insurance Fund, such as for more expensive operations or other procedures with a longer waiting time, may necessitate a second opinion. Assuming they might have made the same decision, we may conclude that this patient has not gotten preferential care," the Ministry of Health and Welfare states.

Because of Estonia's tiny population and scarcity of medical professionals, the Tallinn Medical Association advised the Justice Ministry that it favors modifications to the present regulations for healthcare employees.

According to the group, doctors are not given enough time every appointment to determine whether or not a patient is a "connected person" under the statute because of state-funded medical care.

These issues can't be resolved by providing more training, says organization president Pille Anderson, because health personnel still have to balance their relationship to the patient to determine how close they are to the patient.

For this reason, the most obvious option is to declare an exemption and free healthcare personnel from complying with procedural constraints, which should also encompass sick leave certificates and prescriptions, according to Tallinn physicians.

The prosecution argues that doctors have the authority to intervene in emergency cases or where procedural constraints would be inconsequential from a public interest standpoint.

By August 1, the Ministry of Justice plans to convene meetings with stakeholders to discuss the bill's finalization.

The new law will take effect on March 31 of the next year.